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The over classification of documents, is an ongoing problem here in the US. Many bureaucrats do not subscribe to the 'right to Know' concept, and believe the electorate is to ignorant to deal with the truth. So far, I have seen very little damage due to the leaks, other than minor discomfort to the diplomatic corps. While 'Mama Grizzly' Sarah Palin and many of her ilk, are screaming their heads off about the loss of life, I have seen no documentation of any deaths, attributable to the leaks. I agree with Monty that care must be taken with distributing the leaks, but I do not advocate shutting them down. As seen in the video Koen posted, there 'are' deaths we need to concern ourselves with, that the govt has attempted to hide. How many others are there that we haven't seen? I do not trust my govt to be as transparent as it should. My personal experience during my tour of duty in Vietnam taught me that, i.e; when I was given 'direct orders' not to tell my family of our incursion (illegal) into Laos (a neutral country at the time) in 1969. I would point out that we went through similar gyrations and apoplectic doom saying, when the Pentagon Papers were released by Daniel Ellsberg in the early 70's. It was the release of these truths to the American people, that helped end that horrid war. So, I for one, look for the good that will come from the American people learning what their govt has wrought in their name in Irak & Afghanistan. Alas, but I fear the war criminals from America, shall never see their day in the docket.

To a large degree I think Assange has over sold his information as nothing I have seen rates as earth shattering but I believe that the political over reaction to Wikileaks has helped them achieve a level of notoriety beyond the value of the information, we all know how it is nothing sells a movie faster than an organisation telling you how bad it is.

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We are more often treacherous through weakness than through calculation. ~Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Assange was bailed out and is now under house arrest until he has to return to court on January 11 2011.

He had to turn in his passport and has to wear an electronic clamp on his underleg (sry for bad English)

I have read a report on what really happened (if we ever know what really happened) with the 2 women that accused him and well.... I have my doubts on a/the women & b/the accusations

August 11 2010 Assange was invited to speak by 'The brotherhood movement' in Stockholm.He was welcomed by Anna A., of his presumed victims, who was known for her struggle to defend women who suffered from sexual violence. She invited him in her home where he could stay for a couple of days. August 14 Anna returned to her home. They talked, went out for dinner, went back home and had sex. During the sex the condom broke and there starts the trouble. She says that she didn't wanted to continue but that Assange persisted.The next day nothing was wrong and that evening Anna organized a party for Assange with friends. She even tweeted: "sitting outside freezing for 2 hours with the coolest and smartest people on earth" She deleted the tweet but a Swedish blogger recovered the tweet.

During the congress Assange met Sofia. She was a 'fan'. She offered herself at the organisation as volunteer but was rejected. So she came as visitor and sat on the first row taking pictures and applauding. After the speech she kept hanging around and finally got in touch with Assange. The next day Assange went with Sofia to the railroadstation where Sofia left for home at Enköping. Afterwards she contacted friends telling she met Assange and was delighted. August 17 she called Assange and invited him at her home. As soon they arrived at her place they had sex. The first act was with condom, the 2nd without. In the morning they went out for breakfast and afterwards said goodbye at the railroadstation where Assange left for Stockholm.

So until now 2 happy women and 1 happy man.

But then Sofia calls Anna, they met at the meeting where Assange spoke. Sofia is afraid for a SOA and discusses this with Anna (why IGN do you call a stranger when you are afraid of having a SOA??)

Anna is furious and orders Assange out of her home (why? jealousy?). He refuses and only leaves after 3 days on August 20.

That night both women went to the police...together.........................They tell their stories and the police officer concludes they were raped and sexually assaulted. The prosecutor agrees and orders that Assange must be arrested.

and the rest you know from newspapers and TV

my opinion: this stinks.... if it was a movie it would be succesful but in reality nobody with a common sense believes any of it except that both women offered themselves to Assange...

One source from Ardin’s old university of Uppsala reported rumours that she had stopped co-operating with the prosecution service several weeks ago, and that this was part of the reason for the long delay in proceeding with charges?—?and what still appears to be an absence of charges.

This has added to speculation that the Swedish moves, which have coincided with the release of the Cablegate stories, are politically motivated as stalling tactics, allowing Assange to be detained while the US “prepares an extradition/rendition request”, according to Assange’s UK lawyer Mark Stephens.

As a longtime feminist activist, I have been overjoyed to discover your new commitment to engaging in global manhunts to arrest and prosecute men who behave like narcissistic jerks to women they are dating.

I see that Julian Assange is accused of having consensual sex with two women, in one case using a condom that broke. I understand, from the alleged victims' complaints to the media, that Assange is also accused of texting and tweeting in the taxi on the way to one of the women's apartments while on a date, and, disgustingly enough, 'reading stories about himself online' in the cab.

Both alleged victims are also upset that he began dating a second woman while still being in a relationship with the first. (Of course, as a feminist, I am also pleased that the alleged victims are using feminist-inspired rhetoric and law to assuage what appears to be personal injured feelings. That's what our brave suffragette foremothers intended!).

Thank you again, Interpol. I know you will now prioritize the global manhunt for 1.3 million guys I have heard similar complaints about personally in the US alone -- there is an entire fraternity at the University of Texas you need to arrest immediately. I also have firsthand information that John Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, went to a stag party -- with strippers! -- that his girlfriend wanted him to skip, and that Mark Levinson in Corvallis, Oregon, did not notice that his girlfriend got a really cute new haircut -- even though it was THREE INCHES SHORTER.

Terrorists. Go get 'em, Interpol!

Yours gratefully,

Naomi Wolf

Still, the Lesson Learned learned long ago (or not?) holds valid: Men keep falling over their wieners... Incredible that this should happen to a guy at his age... But then, I have seen so many personally, professors, musicians, politicians, you name them. I am now retreating from a bet I made 20 yrs ago that this would "*never* ever happen to me...!?

You have to remember that this is essentially not a winnable case for Assange as it is more about morality and perception than law.

As much as I don't want to sound "anti-female" here it is the reason we see divorces and child custody cases riddled with molestation and battery claims, once you move the focus away from fact and into the realms of perception it becomes a lost case as we all know that men beat woman and molest children, you do not need evidence as by the time these things reach court any physical evidence is long gone so it becomes one persons word against another's and most people will always believe the sobbing one over the stoic one.

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We are more often treacherous through weakness than through calculation. ~Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Now, I am not so angry instantly, so I asked my paypal administrator -very friendly - where my money I donated to WikiLeaks went after they closed their account. I swear I received an answer, but I cannot find it in my 500 emails daily now, seems they didnt say paypal in "From" nor "subject", I will keep applying other search mechanisms to find it as I am sure I did not delete nor "spam" it.

Baiscally it said: "We are sorry to hear you dont know where the money you transferred by us went, but for reasons of privacy we can only ask you to contact the receipient o find out what happened"...